A Maronite Christian lawyer and politician who had already served two brief terms as prime minister in the 1920s, Bechara el-Khoury was elected Lebanon's president in September 1943 and, with Sunni Prime Minister Riad el-Solh, negotiated the unwritten National Pact that reserved the presidency for a Maronite, the premiership for a Sunni, and the speakership of parliament for a Shia -- a confessional formula intended to balance Lebanon's communities at independence. When French authorities jailed el-Khoury and his ministers on 11 November 1943 after Lebanon's parliament stripped mandate references from the constitution, the resulting popular uprising forced their release eleven days later and secured French acceptance of Lebanese sovereignty. He governed until 1952, when a corruption scandal and popular protest forced his resignation.
- Lived: 1890 CE – 1964 CE
- Nationality: lebanese
- Roles: President of Lebanon (1943-1952)
